Functional analyses of a neurohypophysial hormone for ovarian development using an ascidian, Ciona intestinalis

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26440172
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Morphology/Structure
• Research Institution: Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences
• Principal Investigator: Kawada Tsuyoshi 公益財団法人サントリー生命科学財団, 生物有機科学研究所・統合生体分子機能研究部, 主席研究員 (90300821)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SATAKE HONOO 公益財団法人サントリー生命科学財団, 生物有機科学研究所, 研究部長 (20280688)
• Research Collaborator: SASAKURA YASUNORI 筑波大学, 下田臨海実験センター, 教授
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: オキシトシン / バソプレシン / カタユウレイボヤ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Oxytocin and vasopressin are known as neurohypophysial hormones. Ciona vasopressin (Ci-VP) is an oxytocin/vasopressin superfamily peptide identified from an ascidian, Ciona intestinalis. We generated and established Ci-VP gene knockout ascidians, and observed their ovaries. The observation showed that premature oocytes are more in ovaries of the knockout ascidians than wild ascidians, leading to the presumption that Ci-VP is involved in oocyte growth. Moreover, the knockout ascidians are smaller that wild ascidians, suggesting that Ci-VP plays an important role for body growth. Furthermore, to elucidate ovarian development of C. intestinalis, we performed transcriptome for young ascidian ovaries. The transcriptome analysis showed that genes for metabolism and synthesis of nucleic acids and amino acids are more expressed in young ascidian ovaries.

Free Research Field

比較内分泌学